follow him, and John shows that
they do now in their glorified state; see xix chapter, 14th verse.
"_These_ WERE _redeemed from among men being the first fruits unto God and
to the lamb_."--4th verse. Redeemed or bought from among men (not from
among the dead) nor from out of the earth, but from "among men and from
the earth." The first fruits cannot be until the harvest, and that cannot
be until Jesus comes to reap it with his sharp sickle, see 14th and 15th
verses; remember too, that the description John is here giving, is the
144,000 with Jesus, after he has reaped the harvest of the earth.

See how perfectly it harmonizes with the type of Jesus being the first
fruits, to God, or handful of the _first_ harvest of barley to represent
his resurrection; since which time he has been laboring with his Father
for this very harvest. To have the figure harmonize the fruit must come at
the harvest time, not the seed time. This is the first fruits unto God and
to the Lamb conjointly. The dead saints are no where that I know of
represented as fruits, before the resurrection. This then is the
harmonious view; but we will look at the view which the Bible Advocate and
others, have shown, that the 144,000 shown here, were the saints that came
out of their graves after the resurrection.--Matt. xxvii: 52, 53; and we
are told that "Eph. iv: 8, is to the point." "When he ascended upon high
he led captivity captive"--[Margin says, a _multitude of captives_,] but
this marginal reading so much relied on for their proof by the mark thus
(||,) shows it to be the view of the bible translators. Now to get the
clear view, turn to the 68th Ps. 18th verse, from where Paul quoted. Here
the marginal reading marked thus [Heb.] shows it to be the original, the
inspired word. Now let us read--"Thou hast led captivity captive--thou hast
received gifts in _the man_, (in Jesus) yea, for the rebellious also."
This changes the meaning, and would make this multitude of captives
rebellious saints. Surely Jesus took no such present as this to his
Father; therefore there will be no more necessity for straining the plain
text in Cor. xv: 20, 23. This text is clear, emphatic, and repeated; which
distinctly teaches Christ the first fruits of them that slept;
_afterwards_ they that are Christ's at his coming, when both the dead and
living will be the first fruits to God and the lamb conjointly. To
harmonize the type, the saints at Christ's second coming are the nex